Death, the Body, and Ritual Practice in the Northwest Territories of Canada: An Ethnographic Study of Long-Term Care Settings

Abstract

This study explores death rituals and cultural practices surrounding the preparation of the deceased in long-term care facilities in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Drawing on ethnographic observation and interviews with caregivers and family members, the study examines how Indigenous cosmological beliefs shape post-mortem rituals. The findings reveal that death in long-term care is not merely a medical event but a culturally mediated transition involving ritual acts such as body cleansing, candle lighting, and spiritual guidance for the deceased. These practices reflect Indigenous understandings of the relationship among the living, the dead, and the ancestral world. The study contributes to scholarship in death studies, medical anthropology, and Indigenous cultural practices by documenting how traditional beliefs coexist with institutional healthcare settings. The study uses a qualitative ethnographic approach to examine death rituals in long-term care settings in Norman Wells, Northwest Territories. Data were collected through participant observation and informal interviews with caregivers, family members, and community participants involved in end-of-life processes. Field observations were conducted during the researcher’s time in long-term care facilities. Interview data were supplemented by observational notes documenting post-death ritual practices, including body preparation, candle lighting, and pastoral visitation. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis to identify recurring cultural patterns related to death rituals and Indigenous cosmological beliefs. The researcher’s professional experience as a personal support worker in long-term care facilities in Norman Wells provided unique observational insight into caregiving practices and ritual responses to death within institutional settings.